Once in a while I delve into the unknown, and this week’s review is of soju, a distilled spirit of South Korean origin.

One brand, Jinro, is the best-selling liquor brand in the world, selling nearly 74 million cases in 2016 — more than twice that of Smirnoff vodka and about six times more than Jack Daniels bourbon whiskey. Much of that is due to the fact that soju makes up about 98 percent of the South Korean liquor market.

Traditionally, soju has been distilled from rice. However, rice shortages in South Korea that started in the 1970s resulted in it also being distilled from such ingredients as barley, wheat, sweet potatoes and corn.

West 32 Soju is distilled in New York from corn, with some cane sugar added. Someday I’ll have to track down traditional rice-made soju to see how much difference it makes.

As it is, West 32’s offering did not taste like corn or popcorn and had just a touch of sweetness. It was a very neutral spirit, without any real aroma except for a faint hint of alcohol and light grain. The flavor was also relatively neutral.

I tried the soju chilled and neat, and found the chilled sample a nice accompaniment to dinner. The neat sample had more flavor hints, but they were still hard to pin down.

Soju is sometimes compared to vodka and saki. Except for the clear color, they do not have much in common. Vodka does offer some flavor, however slight it may be, and of course an alcohol bite. Saki usually has nutty, earthy flavors.

I found a story online where a consumer said soju tasted like rubbing alcohol. West 32 definitely does not. It’s not unpleasant in any way, but doesn’t really offer much in the way of flavor, either.

I can see where soju is popular to share with friends over a dinner. Its flavor does not interfere with food and its relatively low alcohol allows people to have more than a few sips.

The 375ml bottle of West 32 Soju retails for about $11.99. It looks like it is only available in New York and New Jersey; however, the company’s website also lists a couple of places to purchase online, if your state allows mail-order alcohol purchases.

Liquor stores in other states may also carry different brands of soju.

Beer Man sez: Soju is a spirit that can easily be enjoyed socially without destroying tastebuds.

Todd Haefer of Scandinavia, Wis., gets paid to drink beer and write about it. He can be reached at beerman@postcrescent.com. Read past reviews at www.postcrescent.com/go-920/beer.